Natural History Museum

Dinosaurs, volcanoes, precious gems, creepy crawlies - as a visitor to The Natural History Museum you will be amazed by the diversity of our natural world.

The Natural History Museum is home to the nation's finest collections of natural history specimens and is one of the UK's top visitor attractions. The Museum's collection now runs to 70 million plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, fossils, rocks and minerals - many of which are displayed through its fascinating exhibitions and more than you could ever see in one day.

Venue Type:

Museum

Opening hours

10.00-17.50 dailyLast admission is 17.30

Closed on 24, 25 and 26 December ONLY

Admission charges

Free to all. Ticket entry to special temporary exhibitions.

The Natural History Museum's natural science collections are the finest in Europe and are divided into:

1. Botany 2. Entomology 3. Mineralogy 4. Palaeontology5. Zoology

Collection details

Key artists and exhibits

Highlights of a trip to The Natural History Museum include:

*The Darwin Centre (Phase One), where you can take a behind-the-scenes tour for the first time to see some of the 22 million zoology specimens on display and meet the scientists working with the collections. A packed programme of tours and talks with scientists about their work gives visitors the chance to engage with the natural world in a more informed way.

*Entering the Earth Galleries through a giant suspended globe and a visit to our permanent exhibits on the origin of the universe and the restless earth - including the human experience of earthquakes and volcanoes.

*Investigate - a hands-on education centre where visitors can be scientists and examine hundreds of specimens.

*A regular and changing programme of special science, art and photography exhibitions on all aspects of the natural world.

Exhibition details are listed below, you may need to scroll down to see them all.

Exhibition (temporary)

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

1 December 2014 — 30 August 2015 *on now

Celebrating its milestone fiftieth year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition combines the extraordinary work of talented professionals and gifted amateur photographers from around the globe.

Their photographs showcase the beauty, magnificence and diversity of life on our planet, while also highlighting its fragility and the role photography can play in preserving it.

Suitable for

Family friendly

Admission

Adult £12.60, child and concession £6.30, family £34.45

Website

Coral Reefs: Secret Cities of the Sea

27 March — 13 September 2015 *on now

Coral reefs are home to almost a quarter of all marine species. In this new exhibition you will meet the inhabitants of these richly diverse habitats, and find out why reefs are so important and how their future is being secured.

Dino Directory

Dinosaur datafiles

The Data Files contain extended information about some of the dinosaurs in the Museum's Dino Directory, They have been designed so that they can be printed out and photocopied for use in the classroom, at home or in the Museum itself.

Hair Detective

Investigate

Investigate is a bookable state-of-the-art, hands-on science centre available to school groups at Key Stages 2 and 3. Students become scientists and explore the processes of science. Museum staff encourage them to ask their own questions about hundreds of real specimens. With everything from dinosaur fossils to butterflies and rare minerals , students can explore some of the diversity of the natural world with scientific equipment and computer resources.

Seeds of Trade

Civilisation is based on the cultivation of plants, but humans rely on plants for far more than simple foodstuffs. This virtual book, written by Henry Hobhouse, the author of Seeds of Change, and Museum botanist Sandra Knapp, is an introduction to the fascinating history of cultivation and some of its impacts on today's society.

Creator

Hobhouse, Knapp and Lowndes

Digital and online resources

Teachers' resource

Our galleries, events, online videos and activities support a large number of classroom needs.Enter a topic you are interested in and the Teachers' resource will bring you all the relevant learning outcomes covered by our museum resources.Includes Teachers' packs and Gallery Guides.

What Dinosaur are You?

Wildlife garden activities

During the summer term, we offer a number of activities that complement National Curriculum Science and Early Learning Goals . Themes covered include creepy crawlies, habitats, variation, classification and grouping, plants and animals in the local environment and adaptation.

Tring Zoological Museum

Nature Online

Kids Only

E-mail

general

education

website

Telephone

general

020 7942 5000

education

020 7942 5555

website

020 7942 5821

All information is drawn from or provided by the venues themselves and every effort is made to ensure it is correct. Please remember to double check opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit.